Photo by: Todd Drexler
Gipson-Long Selected by Twins in 2019 MLB Draft
6/4/2019 4:44:00 PM | Baseball
Mercer junior right-hander taken in the sixth round on Tuesday
MACON, Ga. – Mercer junior right-handed pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long was selected by the Minnesota Twins organization in the sixth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday afternoon.
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Gipson-Long was the 179th overall pick in the draft, making him the sixth-highest selection in program history. Mercer has had 24 draft selections during head coach Craig Gibson's tenure, dating back to 2004. Gipson-Long is the third Bear in the last two years to be selected inside the first 10 rounds, joining former teammates Austin Cox (fifth round) and Robert Broom (10th round).
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"We're extremely proud of Sawyer for what he's accomplished to this point in his playing career and in the classroom," Gibson said. "He represented our program and Mercer University in the best possible way during his three years here. The Minnesota Twins are getting a great competitor and tremendous young man."
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The Woodstock, Ga., native threw a team-leading 83.0 innings over 23 appearances and 14 starts as a junior, helping Mercer win the Southern Conference Tournament title and clinch a berth to the NCAA Athens Regional. He was 8-4 with a 5.20 earned run average and ranked among national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50) with 99 strikeouts and just 18 walks. Gipson-Long pitched in 53 career games at Mercer, logging 140 innings on the mound.
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The 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft will conclude Wednesday with rounds 11-40 starting at noon (ET). All draft selections can be followed using the MLB Draft Tracker.
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Inside the Pick
» Gipson-Long was the first Southern Conference player taken in the 2019 MLB Draft.
» Mercer has had at least one player drafted in each of the last four years and five out of the last six.
» Gipson-Long is the first Bear selected by the Minnesota Twins organization.
» Four Bears have been selected inside the top 10 rounds of the MLB Draft since 2016.
» Gipson-Long's career figures included a 13-5 record, 5.59 ERA, 165 strikeouts and 140 innings pitched.
» Gipson-Long averaged 10.73 strikeouts per nine innings as a junior.
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Gipson-Long was the 179th overall pick in the draft, making him the sixth-highest selection in program history. Mercer has had 24 draft selections during head coach Craig Gibson's tenure, dating back to 2004. Gipson-Long is the third Bear in the last two years to be selected inside the first 10 rounds, joining former teammates Austin Cox (fifth round) and Robert Broom (10th round).
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"We're extremely proud of Sawyer for what he's accomplished to this point in his playing career and in the classroom," Gibson said. "He represented our program and Mercer University in the best possible way during his three years here. The Minnesota Twins are getting a great competitor and tremendous young man."
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The Woodstock, Ga., native threw a team-leading 83.0 innings over 23 appearances and 14 starts as a junior, helping Mercer win the Southern Conference Tournament title and clinch a berth to the NCAA Athens Regional. He was 8-4 with a 5.20 earned run average and ranked among national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50) with 99 strikeouts and just 18 walks. Gipson-Long pitched in 53 career games at Mercer, logging 140 innings on the mound.
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The 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft will conclude Wednesday with rounds 11-40 starting at noon (ET). All draft selections can be followed using the MLB Draft Tracker.
Â
Inside the Pick
» Gipson-Long was the first Southern Conference player taken in the 2019 MLB Draft.
» Mercer has had at least one player drafted in each of the last four years and five out of the last six.
» Gipson-Long is the first Bear selected by the Minnesota Twins organization.
» Four Bears have been selected inside the top 10 rounds of the MLB Draft since 2016.
» Gipson-Long's career figures included a 13-5 record, 5.59 ERA, 165 strikeouts and 140 innings pitched.
» Gipson-Long averaged 10.73 strikeouts per nine innings as a junior.
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We've selected @sawyergipson in the 6th round of the draft.#MNTwins | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/XRG8Tki3Hf
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 4, 2019
Off the board! 🙌 @SawyerGipson taken by the @Twins in the sixth round of the #MLBDraft!#ProBears | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/lQeSjT2fFS
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) June 4, 2019
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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